Costa Dominates Kopylov from Bell to Bell in the Co-Main Event of UFC 318. The energy was electric at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans as Paulo Costa returned to the Octagon to face rising contender Roman Kopylov in the co-main event of UFC 318.
Costa came in needing a win badly and he got it, showing that he still has plenty of fight left in him. Paulo Costa (14–4) entered the bout under pressure. Once an unbeaten middleweight contender, he had lost four of five fights, including decisions to Sean Strickland in 2024 and another to Robert. While his past victories over Luke Rockhold and Yoel Romero showed his explosive power, he admitted a “virus” derailed his preparation, and veterans like Israel Adesanya called on him to refocus . The fight was more than just a fight, it was a test of his will.
Roman Kopylov (14–3) arrived on a hot streak. The Russian had won six of his last seven fights, with highlight finishes, including a head-kick KO over Chris Curtis in January that earned him Fight of the Night . Ranked 14th in the division, he was looking to make waves and break into the top tier with a win over a former title challenger.
From the opening bell, Costa showed he had a point to prove. He pressed forward with intent, landing powerful hooks and uppercuts that reminded everyone why he earned the “Eraser” nickname. Costa opened strong with leg kicks and sharp combos, securing a powerful takedown mid-round. He controlled Kopylov on the canvas, raining down short elbows and strikes from back control.
Kopylov tried to throw hands, but Costa was slick, dodging shots and firing back with clean counters in the middle of the cage. As the round went on, Costa mixed it up nicely, landing both punches and kicks. With about a minute left, Kopylov closed the distance but walked right into a bomb that dropped him and sent his mouthpiece flying. Costa jumped on him looking for the finish, but Kopylov kept his defense tight and managed to survive to the end of the round.
Early in Round 2, Costa continued working Kopylov’s body and legs with hard kicks. He kept pressure high with another takedown. He looked for a choke from the back before maintaining top control and ground-and-pound. Kopylov defended well and avoided further trouble, but Costa clearly controlled the action. A big punch stunned Kopylov, but he didn’t go down. A moment later, another big right hand cracked Kopylov.
Heading into the final round, Kopylov found his rhythm with kicks and tried mixing in takedown attempts but Costa shut him down, riding another clinch and top-heavy position to close the round. All three judges scored it for Costa: 30–27, 30–27, 29–28, as a unanimous decision victory. It was his first UFC win since 2022 and a much-needed confidence boost.
During his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Costa called out Khamzat Chimaev, mentioning he wants revenge for sending DMs to his wife. Chimaev is currently set to face Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 on Aug. 16.
Paulo Costa answered the doubters with his victory. He looked sharp, effective, and in control—reminding everyone why he’s still a top middleweight threat. Roman Kopylov proved he belongs, but ran into a seasoned beast ready to roar back.
Main Card
Max Holloway def. Dustin Poirier via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
Paulo Costa def. Roman Kopylov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Holland via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Patricio Pitbull def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Michael Johnson def. Daniel Zellhuber via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims
Vinicius Oliveira def. Kyler Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Brendan Allen def. Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Nikolay Veretinnikov def. Francisco Prado via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Ateba Gautier def. Robert Valentin via TKO (punches) at 1:08 of R1
Early prelims
Islam Dulatov def. Adam Fugitt via TKO (punches) at 4:06 of R1
Jimmy Crute def. Marcin Prachnio via submission (armbar) at 4:42 of R1
Ryan Spann def. Lukasz Brzeski via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:27 of R1
Brunno Ferreira def. Jackson McVey via submission (armbar) at 3:35 of R1
Carli Judice def. Nicolle Caliari via TKO (knee and punches) at 1:30 of R3
